State Rep. Hope Whitehead, D-St. Louis, is challenging her narrow defeat in the Aug. 3 primary by Karla May, who was backed by Mayor Francis Slay.
Whitehead has scheduled a news conference at noon today downtown, in front of the Civil Courts building, where she plans to file a lawsuit asserting that city Democratic Party chairman Brian Wahby improperly allowed May to post "challengers" inside the polling locations.
("Challengers" are people allowed by Missouri law to stand in polling places to observe who comes in and takes a ballot. Their general use in primaries is to challenge people who are known Democrats or Republicans who take the opposing party's ballot. But they can also be used to monitor who has come into vote, and who hasn't shown up yet -- information that then can be used by a campaign to make sure known supporters show up to cast ballots.)
Whitehead says she was not allowed to post challengers in the polling places. She contends that May's advantage could have contributed to her 33-vote victory over Whitehead in the 57th state House district. Because no other party has candidates seeking the seat, the Aug. 3 victor is virtually guaranteed to win the November general election.
Wahby declined comment. Under the state law, the city Democratic Central Committee (and its GOP counterpart) send over a list of allowed challengers to the city Election Board.
Whitehead won her first matchup with May in last February's special election to choose a successor to former state Rep. T.D. El-Amin, D-St.Louis, who had to step down after pleading guilty to federal bribery-related charges.
Said Whitehead in a statement sent out late Sunday night: "This is not just about me. I want the constituents of the 57th District to know for certain we have accountability, transparency and integrity in the election process."
This article originally appeared in the St. Louis Beacon.
